Seitzman v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada

# Seitzman v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada ## What Happened Seitzman had a group long-term disability insurance plan through his employer and Sun Life, the insurance company. When he stopped working, he tried to claim total disability benefits. Seitzman argued that Sun Life wrongfully refused to pay these benefits under the contract terms of his insurance plan. ## What the Court Decided The appeals court sided with Sun Life. The court confirmed that Seitzman had not proven he was truly unable to perform the main duties of his job due to an injury or illness. Without meeting this requirement, he was not entitled to collect disability benefits. ## Why This Matters for Workers This ruling clarifies that disability insurance companies can deny benefits if a worker cannot show they cannot do their actual job duties. Simply being unable to work is not enough—you must prove your specific condition prevents you from performing the essential tasks of your occupation. Workers seeking disability benefits should carefully document their medical condition and understand their plan's definition of "disability."